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Monthly Archives: May 2017

Last Saturday brought us a cool 50 degree day that is perfect for running but a bit chilly for triathlon! However, it was the 11th annual Pokagon State Park Triathlon & I was signed up for the Olympic distance event. 1500m swim (.94 miles), 40K bike (24.8 miles) & a 10K trail run (6.2 miles). First triathlon for 2017 and I was excited. I’ve been working on my swimming ALL freaking winter and was hoping to be comfortable in the water and well, let’s be honest, faster. So I was ready!

The race didn’t start until 9am so we weren’t rushed. We got to the park early. Made it thru packet pick up in about 60 seconds, which included body marking. Checked on the water. The weekend previous the water temp for Lake James was 39 degrees. So water temperature was on everyone’s mind. Fortunately after a week of 80-90 degrees, the water temp increased to 63 degrees by race day. I know that’s cold for some people but honestly, it wasn’t that bad with a wetsuit. My fingers & toes didn’t go numb …. so it was good.

Swim – We walked down a longish stone staircase to get to the beach for our swim in Lake James. Keep in mind that when we come out of the water, we have to climb back up to get to transition. So a decent walk to the swim start. But once we were on the beach everything was good. Even though it was an early spring race, the beach was in decent condition & the water was pretty clean. What I love about this swim, that I haven’t seen at many other races, was the line between the buoys. So nice. So minimal sighting was necessary & I was just able to follow the line. I’m not a straight swimmer so did hit the rope a couple times with my stroke & I may have hit someone on the other side once, thankfully it was Julie so she didn’t get too mad at me! The Olympic swim was straight out from shore 375m , around a buoy, back to shore, walk onto the beach to the other side of the line & repeat. 2 loops. Easy. My swim wasn’t perfect but it was decent for me & “fast” compared to my previous swim spits. I don’t usually drop a lot of numbers because I know we are all at different levels but I was happy to get out of the water & see a 31. I lapped my watch to start my transition 1 time & stop my swim time. After the race, I saw I swam a 31:52, which is about 2:03/100yd. Fast for me. I was happy!!

It took me a little over 2 minutes to get up the stairs & into transition. I wasn’t running hard but I was jogging & trying to move as quickly as I could without wearing myself out on the steps. Little did I know, the real challenge was getting my wetsuit off over the huge square box of a timing chip that was attached to my ankle! It took way more effort than I expected. I had to sit down. I almost panicked because I just couldn’t get my suit off over the chip. Somehow I was eventually on my way & running out of transition with my bike.

The bike. 40K – 24.8 miles One loop. On my beautiful new bike! Yes, the bike is faster than me!

I did this race in 2007, before I owned a wetsuit, and ended up doing the duathlon because the water temp was cold that year too! But I rode the Olympic bike course that day. Not sure it is exactly the same now but I remember it being hilly and windy. It was exactly as I remember on Saturday. But maybe windier & maybe hillier.

I think I talked a little bit last year about a few discs in my back that ruptured (June 2016). Well, I’ve not really recovered. The back issue has caused some neuro issues & my legs are constantly fatigued & lack the power that I had previously. Last year was a long year, fighting the issue with my back & legs, which comes to the forefront when I ride. As soon as TRI season was over, I took some serious time off & did some serious treatments (Anti-Inflammatory, PT, Chiro, Cortisone/Steroid cocktail injections). Took the edge off but I’m far from “better”. I had hoped this would be a great TRI season with the new bike. Well, the bike is only as good as the machine riding it. And my machine has a couple blown valves! So my bike split was about 5 minutes slower than my conservative estimation but I eventually made it back to transition & attempted a real dismount. I learned a couple years ago how to slip out of my shoes as I was riding into transition, but I had yet to get brave enough to do a proper dismount. I tried it once last week in the yard, while it was raining & figured I’d just go for it. So as I was nearing transition, I slipped out of my shoes, then attempted to gracefully dismount. Keeping my left foot on the pedal (atop my shoe) and swinging my right leg over the bike to drop it down behind my left foot. Right foot hitting the ground first. I came in a little fast. And hit the ground “running” a little hard. But I didn’t crash & it didn’t jar my back anymore than random daily activities. See a smoother version of the dismount from Derek Taylor who competed in a different event last weekend. His dismount is opposite mine but its still the same concept. Photo credit: Amanda Taylor – Get to Goal.

Slow bike but my 2nd transition rocked. I loved the new dismount & it really helped me speed into transition and get out on the run quickly.

Run – 10K Trail Run – 6.2 miles! Once again, I’ve ran the 10K portion of this event previously. But I was a lot younger & a lot faster! But still, I remember it being hilly. Trail runs usually are hilly but they are beautiful. I’ve never had a more scenic run portion in a TRI than this one. Temps were still coolish, in the 50s. The trail run was mostly shaded. 3 aid stations. Nice day. I couldn’t go real fast. I had to walk up some hills. And my back was really crabby about the pounding down the hills. But I eventually made it back to the start/finish area. 5 minutes slower than I had anticipated but I made it back!

Best part was that I had time to grab my camera to capture Julie’s first ever triathlon finish! We went 1-2 in our age group, you know. But don’t ask how many people were in the age group!

Great SWAG at this event. Unisex Brooks technical tee, pint glass & a few other goodies. Then I got a certificate & coffee mug for the AG award. Very cool!

Huge shout out to FNA Bicycles in New Lenox IL for helping me find the perfect bike. Huge shout out to all the police & volunteers at Pokagon for keeping us safe. And the biggest shout out of all goes to Pokagon State Park which is one of my all time favorite State Parks. Great running trails, beaches & camping areas! Hope to see you out there sometime!

When one thinks about marathon running, they might not immediately think Lincoln, NE. But Lincoln is certainly thinking about marathons and the Lincoln Marathon strives to bring the best possible marathon & half marathon to approximately 13,000 runners each and every year. The 2017 Lincoln Marathon was held Sunday, May 7th.

This was a quick trip. Timing with Track & Baseball was tight. I might have gotten up at 3am to drive to Lincoln in order fulfill Mommy duties and still run the race. Maybe. Uust Maybe. I didn’t know much about the town of Lincoln. I certainly didn’t know that Nebraska was the birthplace of the Rueben Sandwich (Fun Fact #1) or we would have eaten a Rueben while visiting!

The expo was held at the Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Medium sized expo. Great size for the amount of runners. Organized. Fun booths. Easy in and out.

Fun Fact #2 – Lincoln NE is the birthplace of the 911 emergency system that is now commonly used across the US.

Race day arrived & we had detailed maps regarding downtown parking. Parking was plentiful and ranged in prices from metered parking to covered garages. We quickly found a spot a couple blocks from Memorial Stadium & we were headed to the start line with plenty of time to relax & hit the potties. Lots of potties here, thanks, Lincoln!

The stadium was amazing, even empty. However, I have now heard so much about Memorial Stadium that I wanted to share this pic, image source HERE. Filled to capacity, the stadium will hold 90,000 spectators. Go BIG RED!

The race started on time. The National Guard was visible & present. Fun Fact #3, there are 5 army forts open to the public in Nebraska. The armed forces have a real presence in Lincoln & throughout Nebraska. The race was no different. There was a special division just for National Guard members. 117 members finished the marathon & 5 finished the half, many in full gear with loaded packs. And this doesn’t include those who volunteered time & helped with the race.

The course was pretty easy without a lot of turns, which is always our preference. It is described as flat. There are some rolling hills in Lincoln. Nothing crazy but if you come from Chicago or NE Indiana, yeah, there are some hills, total of 502 ft of elevation gain.

We passed by the Capital Building shortly after hitting the first mile. I’m not sure if it wasn’t visible or I didn’t notice. I was fighting myself mentally & physically for a good portion of the race. I was trying to trick myself into believing it was going to be a great day. It was a great race. And I felt good. So I spent a decent amount of time in my head trying to move my body forward, even though I wasn’t remotely recovered from the hills & heat that Nashville threw my way 8 days earlier. But I wish I had seen the capitol so I could take a photo. Fun Fact #4 – Nebraska is the ONLY state that doesn’t have 2 houses in their legislature. The norm is for a House & Senate but in Nebraska, they are unicameral & nonpartisan. The legislature has 49 senators & is the smallest legislature in the country. Even Alaska has more members than Nebraska! Source. Stock photo of the Capitol Building below.

We ran thru town, turned on Sheridan Boulevard around mile 3, passed thru the vicinity of Memorial Park & the Lincoln SE High School at mile 4, then hit 48th Street, passing Union College, until it connected with the Helen Boosalis Trail. The trail was crowded but still lined with spectators and supporters. I remember seeing a lot of dogs throughout the course & I think I high-fived more kids in Lincoln than any other race. The kids were out in FULL FORCE to support the runners! Lots of signs. My favorite was a women holding a sign that said “Motivational Sign”. Wow. Creative or not? Still thinking on that one.

We left the trail around mile 8.5 & headed up 20th Street to Irvingdale & Rudge Memorial Parks, then jogged over to 10th Street for a straight shot back to Memorial Stadium where we dropped the half marathoners at mile 13. This greatly thinned the crowd & started the marathoners on an out & back portion for the final miles of the course. It was heating up by the time we dropped the half runners and aid stations were a little further apart than I like when its hot. Fortunately, we had a nice breeze, it was beautiful day & the aid stations were well stocked & had lots of friendly volunteers when we got to them.

After passing the stadium, we jumped on the Rock Island Trail (photos below) and ran the backside of campus to connect to Capitol Boulevard & Normal Avenue which was the course for our “out”.

Once we hit Capitol Boulevard, we saw the Lincoln’s Children Zoo! This was a highlight for me & we passed it at mile 16 & again at 23. After the Zoo, we headed to the turnaround at Holmes Lake Park (approximately 19.6). The “out” stretch was long but it was flat, we had some shade and a little bit of a breeze. But it was long. Really long. My pace slowed considerably in this section.

Fun Fact #6 – Lincoln NE is the home of the National Museum of Roller Skating.

After the turnaround, we were headed toward the finish. We knew exactly what to expect. We knew where the aid stations were & how long until we could get ice. And we picked up the pace by quite a bit. Splits don’t look that impressive because of the amount of time that we needed to spend at aid stations for cooling & hydration purposes but we were moving pretty well between aid stations. And one of the stats that came up in our finish results were the number of people we passed between mile 20 & the finish. 90 people!

The finish in Memorial Stadium was really awesome too. I really enjoy finishes in big stadium’s like this one. Nice race, Lincoln.

Overall a good race. Not as exciting on the “sites” as some that we have done but it was organized & done well. Excellent support from the volunteers, National Guard, local police & spectators. Excellent start & finish in and around Memorial Stadium. And the lilacs were in bloom which always makes me think of Grandma C.

I’m hoping I can finish my quest to run a marathon in every state by the time I’m 50. I’m 43 now but a lot of the states that we still need are ones which require airfare. That means more $$ and in turn pushes out the time frame. But it’s a long term goal and that’s what I like about it. No pressure. No rush. Just grab the states as we are able. Its FUN. And that’s what running & fitness is to me. Fun. A way to connect with friends. See sights that I would never see in a million years. Like really, I can’t imagine why I would have traveled to Lincoln NE had it not been for the Lincoln Marathon. It’s an adventure. One day, one state, one race at a time …. and whatever happens in between.

** Until Next Time, Run Long, My Friends ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

The sources for the listed Nebraska facts, as well as additional info/facts can be found here or here or here or here. Enjoy!

Saturday was my first time at the Rock N Roll Marathon Series event in Nashville TN. While most are talking about the unprecedented heat (93 degrees & 86% humidity) or maybe the many hills that Nashville presented to us over the course, I want to talk a little bit about the SPIRIT of Nashville. The crowds, the volunteers, the residents, the race officials and the overall good vibe from the city as it welcomed us with open arms. And by “us”, I mean me & 25,000 of my closest friends. People further than the eye can see. This photo is as we were attempting to get to our corral for the start.

This is one of the largest Rock N Roll races in the country with only RNR Vegas being larger. If you’re a half marathoner & making your rounds, do put RNR Vegas on your list too. It’s fun & so awesome to run the Strip at night.

Finally we were into the corrals & ready to go. There were 40 or 41 corrals in order to ease congestion on the course. But the race was busy. The entire way. Both with runners & spectators.

We started out on Broadway heading east toward the river. This is otherwise known as “Music Row” and we ran past all the famed “Honky Tonks” that make Nashville & its various artists famous. If you like country music, live music or bars in general, this might be the town for you. Plenty of places to grab a drink & hear some live performers. Grab a group of friends & make a weekend out of it!

Quick trip down Broadway, then over & back up Demonbreun to pass the Country Music Hall of Fame & the new Nashville Music Center (location for expo & packet pick-up). I just love the architecture of the Nashville Music Center. One of my favorite buildings in this town, pictured below, on the left, brownish building.

Then a quick pass by the start line & all the runners still awaiting their start in the corrals.

Photo Credit: Julian Smith, visiting from England!

Next up, the Visual Arts Center & Music Square, which features Carnival Music & the RCA Studios. Thanks to Mr. Julian S. for grabbing a few photos of this area (below). This is the location of the famous “Studio B” from RCA that recorded early greats such as Elvis & Dolly Parton.

Between mile 5 & 6, somewhere around Gale Lane Community Park, we saw our first collapsed runner. Others had seen one down much earlier around mile 3, but by mile 5 to 6, everyone was really feeling the heat. RNR did an excellent job with aid stations that were close together. The medial teams were well staffed. Sprayer hoses, ice, cold water, Gatorade, oranges, salt packets, Glukos gels/chomps, cold towels/sponges. It was just a matter of getting from aid station to aid station. And that’s pretty much how most of us had to think about the race, just one small segment at a time.

On to 12th Avenue where there were lots of shops, restaurants, and spectators. I’ve got to give it to the spectators, residents of the city & volunteers. They were tireless (and hot too!) as they moved around to help out the runners. The neighborhoods that we ran thru were in full on party mode. Music, beer shot stations, Krispy Kreme donuts, bounce houses for the kids, local bands. It was fun, fun, fun! Another pic from Julian below of the neighborhood parties. Great selfie, Julian!

Back around Belmont University & Jane Ayres Academic Center (Julian S’ photo below), another loop thru downtown. As we headed back out of the downtown area, we caught a glimpse of the Tennessee State Capitol & then split with the 1/2 marathon runners around mile 11.5.

Shout out to the Nashville Rescue Mission for all of those cheers as we passed at 11.75 & 15.25. YOU all, rocked our run! Thank you! Then we rejoined the half marathoners at mile 16. That’s when reality really hit. We could see probably 1000 or more people on the half marathon side, all walking. Not one runner. Just a sea of people in good humor walking & talking. Heading toward their finish line.

I was a bit surprised that we had so many people on our side for the full marathon. It wasn’t packed like the side for the half, but there were still a quite a few toughing it out with us. We were never alone. Those of us who ran the full got a special treat too as we were able to loop the field at First Tennessee Park.

Next up, Musicians Hall of Fame & Woodland Street. The finish line was off Woodland in the Nissian Stadium. We said good bye to the half runners for the final time around mile 17-18. But not before some of us took a run thru a fountain in the business district! I may or may not have instigated the fountain running. Michael would be proud of me.

East Park, 5th Street & Davidson Road along the Cumberland River. One loop around Shelby Park & then we FINALLY headed back to the finish line at Nissan Stadium. Long race. Took us 5 hrs & 18 minutes and no that’s not a personal worst. We’ve had some really hot races. We don’t run well in the heat but we have learned how to survive. If you find yourself running a really hot/humid race, I suggest: 1) stay on top of your hydration – drink before you’re thirsty; 2) plan to use extra fuel because your body is working harder & you’ll be out on course longer; 3) use any means necessary to keep cool – ice, water sprayers & cold towels work great, 4) wear a visor to keep the sun off your face but it will in turn allow the heat to escape thru your head, 5) use sunscreen cuz if you burn, your skin can’t breathe & 6) make sure you have access to salt tabs. When you are taking in a lot of water to stay cool, your tummy get sloshy. You may throw up. The chances of vomiting & dehydration are less if you can get that water in your tummy to absorb. Salt/electrolyte tabs/capsules will help the water to absorb.

Huge shout out to all the runners who managed to FINISH RnR Nashville despite the heat! There were several points where some of the full marathoners got turned around/diverted due to weather & cut-off times. Please don’t get discouraged if you got cut-off at this race. The heat was bad. Nobody was hitting the times that they trained to run. It happens.

Congrats to all the runners! Thanks to all the volunteers, medial staff, police, spectators & the bands that kept playing even though the sun was beating down on them too! The spirit of Nashville really showed throughout the weekend but especially on race day.

SWAG:

Quick note about the marathon finisher jackets. The cut is the same as last year but they are longer. The length now goes over most of our rumps, at least for the ladies. I’m tall, if it goes over my bum, it will probably go over yours. Utilize the sizing station at the expo to determine the correct size. You may want to size up if your bum is bigger than your waist. Otherwise you won’t get this jacket zipped. Example below.

1) I find a lot of motivational quotes/images through the internet. Although I attempt to track down the source, I am sometimes unsuccessful. If you see something on this site that you believe to be your intellectual property, please let me know (amanda@tootallfritz.com) and I will remove it immediately.

2) You are eligible to win a giveaway once every 30 days. If your name comes up more than once in the 30 day period, I will select the person directly above you (on my spreadsheet) to receive the freebie. Gotta spread the love around, right? Thanks for understanding, Amanda - TooTallFritz